Introduction
Petition Number: P-06-1546
Petition title: Welsh Government should fund the Llanbedr relief road
Text of petition:
The Llanbedr relief road was cancelled by Welsh Government, who then promised Llanbedr a replacement. Now that plans are being finalised we call upon Welsh Government to fund the promised replacement road.
The community itself lives in fear, the transport situation for tourists is dire, and the solution we had was swept aside by you. We, the community of Llanbedr, visitors to Llanbedr, and those who travel through, petition you to take responsibility and fund the road.
More details
The community of Llanbedr was promised an “exemplar scheme” by the Welsh Government after it cancelled the funded solution which was about to start. It promised to work with our County to deliver a much better road, a “low speed relief road” was promised. But now that the plans are almost ready the Government seems to want to divest its responsibility and pass the funding responsibility to another body, and for our community to “apply” for funding. We feel that it is your responsibility to fund the road. Pushing our community out to a lottery situation now isn’t fair or just.
The text provided above is submitted by the petitioner. The petitions team make every effort to ensure it preserves their authentic voice. This text has not been verified for accuracy, or errors, and may contain unverified opinions or assertions.
Mae'r testun uchod yn cael ei gyflwyno gan y deisebydd. Mae'r tîm deisebau yn gwneud pob ymdrech i sicrhau ei fod yn cadw ei lais dilys. Nid yw'r testun hwn wedi'i wirio am gywirdeb, neu wallau, a gall gynnwys barn neu honiadau heb eu gwirio.
1. Background
Gwynedd Council’s website explains the issues caused by traffic in Llanbedr:
…the community and visitors to Llanbedr are negatively impacted by motor vehicles that are required to drive through the village along the A496. This is reflected by the high collision rate along the A496 through Llanbedr, as well as the inconsistency in journey times through the village, particularly during the tourist season.
Proposals for a new bypass to the west of Llanbedr were granted planning permission in March 2020. They were intended to ease traffic through the village, and improve access to Llanbedr Airfield.
While the Welsh Government is responsible for the Strategic Road Network, the maintenance and improvement of local roads, such as those in Llanbedr, are the responsibility of the relevant local authority. However, major schemes are often unaffordable without additional funding, often from the Welsh Government.
2. Welsh Government action
2.1. The roads review and development of alternative proposals
In June 2021 the then Deputy Minister for Climate Change, Lee Waters MS, announced a roads review panel to review planned Welsh Government road investments. New road schemes were paused while the existing project pipeline was reviewed, except where construction was underway.
The Welsh Government asked the panel to provide a view on the Llanbedr bypass scheme within four weeks. This was due to the pressing nature of a timetable linked to European funding deadlines.
In November 2021 the panel published its findings concluding the scheme as proposed did not align with the Wales Transport Strategy and therefore should not be taken forward.
The Deputy Minister accepted the panel’s recommendation and announced the Welsh Government would not support any further work on the existing scheme. The Deputy Minister also stated he was:
…committed to providing funding for the development and implementation of an alternative package of measures to address the negative impact of traffic in Llanbedr and in other villages on the A496, whilst also encouraging modal shift and reducing CO2 emissions. The package can also consider access requirements to the airfield to support associated developments. I have asked my officials to work with Gwynedd Council to commission Transport for Wales [(TfW)] to develop an alternative package for consideration, in line with the chair’s recommendations. Any Welsh Government funding for this package will be via the Local Transport Fund and subject to the usual application process.
Gwynedd Council received funding from the Welsh Government to consider options for transport interventions to improve the situation in Llanbedr. The publication of a study in October 2024[AM1] setting out the Case for Change was followed by a 6 week consultation on the proposals which closed on 6 May 2025.
The consultation website says a subsequent study will be undertaken following the consultation leading to identification of a preferred scheme. Progress after this stage “is subject to the availability of funding and agreement from Transport for Wales and Welsh Government on the recommendations”.
The Gwynedd Council website indicates that it meets with TfW and the Welsh Government monthly “as a working group of officers to report and discuss the transport work in Llanbedr.”
2.2. Welsh Government funding for local transport schemes
In recent years the Welsh Government has provided funding to support local authority transport priorities through a series of transport grants, including the Local Transport Fund, which authorities apply for.
The Welsh Government has established Corporate Joint Committees (CJCs) of local authorities to deliver certain functions regionally, including transport planning. Regional Transport Plans (RTPs) are currently being developed and are expected to be finalised shortly.
In November 2024, the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates MS set out his intention to reorganise transport grants and devolve “responsibility, decision making and the funding to the regions”. During Draft Budget scrutiny in January 2025 he explained, “… we are moving in that direction for full devolution to take place from 2026-27.”
On 24 June 2025 Mabon ap Gwynfor MS asked whether the First Minister would make a commitment to fund the Llanbedr bypass scheme. The First Minister told Plenary Gwynedd will receive “a share of regional transport grants worth £100m over five years”, continuing:
…the Labour Government is eager to ensure that local leaders have a greater say on which roads, and so forth, should be developed. That's why we're going to ensure that financial allocations in the future are based on the decision made by the corporate joint committee. I think that it is important to note the fact that a working group has been established between Cyngor Gwynedd and the Welsh Government and Transport for Wales to consider the options that are available to deal with transport problems in [Llanbedr]. We've already given £0.5 million to Cyngor Gwynedd to continue with the design development. What will then need to be done is that they will need to convince and work with the CJC to make the case for that funding coming to [Llanbedr].
The Cabinet Secretary’s letter to the Chair on this petition explains that Local Transport Fund awards are being used to develop the plans. He says he recognises frustration around changing Welsh Government priorities, and so is:
… committed to giving local leaders a bigger say in how transport funding is invested in their region, so that we can take a long-term, strategic approach to funding the transport improvements which are priorities for each region.
He explains that the CJC in north Wales is finalising its RTP which “will provide a five-year plan for improving transport across North Wales”. He continues:
From 2026-27, we will merge our current transport grants (including the Local Transport Fund, which currently provides funding to the Llanbedr scheme), into a single source of funding, and ask the CJCs to recommend how this funding is spent. Future Welsh Government funding to deliver the Llanbedr scheme from 2026-27 onwards will therefore be based on the recommendations of the North Wales CJC, following the priorities set out in their RTP.
I am committed to continuing to work with local residents, Cyngor Gwynedd and the North Wales CJC to address the issues in Llanbedr.
3. Welsh Parliament action
The Llanbedr Bypass has been discussed extensively in the Senedd, particularly the cancellation of the original scheme.
In terms of funding for the new scheme, as noted above the First Minister responded to questions about funding of the scheme on 24 June, explaining that CJCs would be the decision-maker on the allocation of their share of Welsh Government funding.
On 25 June, Mabon ap Gwynfor asked the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language, Mark Drakeford MS, whether it was “credible” that north Wales local authorities would agree that £32m of their allocation would be used on this project. He also asked if he would “put a bid in” to the UK Government for funding. The Cabinet Secretary replied:
… I continue to have discussions with the Cabinet Secretary for Transport about the work that he wants to do in north Wales, but the details of the programmes, well, he is responsible for those…
Every effort is made to ensure that the information contained in this briefing is correct at the time of publication. Readers should be aware that these briefings are not necessarily updated or otherwise amended to reflect subsequent changes.